Me Being vs. My Being – Which Is Correct? (With Examples)

You probably have seen “Me Being” and “My Being” used in sentences as if they meant the same thing, or served the same purpose in language.

However, every word in English has a meaning, an intent, and there is a difference (albeit small) between the forms “Me Being” and “ My Being”.

Me Being vs. My Being – Which Is Correct?

Both “Me Being” and “My Being” are correct, depending on what you’re describing in your sentence. “My Being” commonly refers to characteristics and features that are inherent to the individual, while “Me Being” is used to describe temporal, momentarily feeling or features.

Let see some examples:

• That was just me being silly.
• My being smart bothered them.
• Me being serious was not an usual thing.
• I never took their words seriously, my being a lighthearted person.

In the examples that contain “Me Being”, we’re discussing transitory features: a silly moment, or an unusual seriousness, as seen in the sentences.

In the examples with “My Being”, however, we’re discussing inherent characteristics, such as someone being funny or lighthearted. Those are things that are part of the individual, not temporary or easy to change.

Me Being

“Me Being” should be used to explain or describe your actions, or reactions, to things in a particular moment (that don’t necessarily reflect your personality or characteristics, as an individual). Sometimes, in cases where “Me Being” is the correct form, you can replace “Me” for “I”.

See below how to use “Me Being” in a sentence:

1. Vanessa didn’t like me being sad.
2. Me being happy made the others happy too.
3. John didn’t understand me being angry.
4. Me being upset is not a common thing.
5. Harry was annoyed at me being talkative.

Note that in all sentences “Me Being” reflects a feeling, reaction, or sentiment that is temporary. People may be sad for a while, but not forever. Being sad isn’t part of who they are, and in general is described as a passing feeling.

This is the general idea behind “Me Being”. And for everything that is transitory, “Me Being” seems to be the more accurate expression.

My Being

“My Being” should be used to describe characteristics that are inherently yours. It’s about what you are in general, as an individual, not only in some sporadic moments. How would a loved one describe you, for example? For those things, you’d use “My Being”.

Let’s see how to use “My Being” in a sentence:

1. My being religious upset them.
2. The boss liked my being a hard-working person.
3. My being kind was always valued by all.
4. My being a fast runner made sports easier.
5. My being brunette made me look more ordinary.

All of the characteristics mentioned in the examples point to facts about the subject that aren’t temporary. No one is religious or hard-working for a moment. In fact, those are traits that make a person who they are.

For those things, which we consider to be inherent characteristics, “My Being” is the more correct form to use.

Which Phrase Is Used the Most?

As similar as they might seem, which one of those two forms is used more often? Take a look at the graph from Google Ngram Viewer below.

“My Being” is more frequently used, when compared to “Me Being”. But this isn’t the most interesting fact about this graph.

If you look closely, you’ll notice that both forms have become more common, particularly after the nineties. What would you think to be the reason?

We believe it’s because, as a society, we’re getting closer to a place where our feelings, thoughts and characteristics are front and center (as opposed to the past, when people used to hide them or ignore them)

Maybe we’re turning into a more individualistic society. Or maybe, we’re simply learning not to ignore our feelings and thoughts – be them part of our intrinsic ourselves, or just transitory.

Final Thoughts

“My Being” and “Me Being” could possibly be interchanged and most people wouldn’t know the difference. But now you know, and can choose wisely which one to use. When speaking about characteristics and personal traits, choose “My Being”. When talking about a moment’s feeling or reaction, go for “Me Being”.